Urban out as Estes Park Bobcat football coach

Search on for new head coach

Brian Lund awaits the start of summer football camp on Tuesday. Lund and much of the assistant staff will stay in place as the district searches for a new head football coach.

New high school football coach Steve Urban runs the backs and receivers through drills in 2010. The coach stepped down on Monday after failing to bring the program out of the doldrums that have plagued them for most of the last decade.
(
Walt Hester
)

After two difficult seasons that produced one win, and a summer full of changes and rumors, Bobcat head football coach Steve Urban resigned on Monday morning.

"We met on Sunday and found out," said Brian Lund, who was named interim head coach while the district searches for a replacement. "All of the assistant staff is staying on for some consistency for the kids."

Rumors began to circulate in June after Urban was replaced as athletic director for the Park R3 schools, but the coach and the district denied any other changes at the time. Now the coach is looking for another position in the area, though is said to be considering moving back to Texas.

The news comes just seven days before the team's mini-camp was scheduled to open, and two weeks before regular practices are scheduled to start.

"It's a tight turnaround time," commented Lund, who has been an assistant for the last few seasons.

The district will call candidates back on Friday and conduct interviews beginning Monday, as the summer camp begins.

Lund stated that he and the football staff contacted players as soon as they found out that Urban was stepping down. Those players, in turn, spread the word.

This was just the latest change for the high school's football program. The 'Cats will compete at the 1A level this year. They will face Lyons as conference rivals, which will be no small task.

"We will be competing against schools of the same size," acknowledged Lund. "This won't necessarily make it any easier.

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Lund pointed out that Wray, a 1A school, began their 2011 season by knocking off 2A power Eaton.

The team also looks forward to implementing a new offence.

"We'll implement a wing-T offence this year," said Lund." It keeps the defense guessing. The defense has to sit, read and react. It should help our defense stay off of the field."

Lund says he has spoken to players about the offensive change and that they are on-board. The offense will also get more players involved in the offense. Now they have to get kids in.

"We've had a handful," answered Lund when asked about the summer weight room attendance. "They have to work swing shifts and odd hours. We have this service economy up here. We just have to get the kids in."

Lund did single out one player who is spending the summer working construction during the day, then lifting in the evening.

The district has also implemented a new athletic web site, estesathletics.org. The coaches are enthused about the change as it will make athletic information easier to find.

One such bit of information on the site is that athletes need to have their physicals and get their "Gray Cards" before the first day of practices. The cards are good for one calendar year, so if an athlete filed a Gray Card for wrestling or basketball, he or she won't have to get a new card until that season rolls around again.

The Estes Park High School's football mini-camp is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 6. Regular mandatory practices start Monday, August 13. The Bobcat's season opening game is against Cornerstone Christian at Adams 12 North Stadium on Friday, September 1, at 7 p.m.